Did advertising encourage your crossdressing?

[Dee Baker]

Did advertising encourage your crossdressing?
I’m thinking subliminally and ads for women’s clothing that don’t necessarily specify for women.

Some examples:
Gentlemen Prefer Hanes
Nothing Beats a Great Pair of Leggs
Our Leggs Fit Your Legs
Now Your Legs Can Have Sheer Energy
Eventually Yours (Slip), Corette
We Create a Design Especially For You (Corset), Berger Bros
You’ll Be Lovely, Too, In a Lovable Brassiere.
Triumph Has The Bra For The Way You Are

Some slogans that may be in the back of my mind (just cant seem to put it together):
“You’ll Love the Way It Fits”
“Wouldn’t You”?
“Try”

[Robin777]

Advertising of that type has never really encouraged my crossdressing. I never really pay that much attention to advertising slogans. The worst thing that encourages my crossdressing is going into the ladies dept of the clothing store. When I was a youngster it was looking at the Sears and Penny's catalogs.

[Rachael Leigh]

Just going thru the Sunday adds encourages me and how much I wish I could buy and wear all the pretty things. However it's just dreaming mostly just don't have the budget.

[Ceri Anne]

Not really, I don't wear any of those brands. My dressing comes from within and the allure of real females

[Kate Simmons]

When I was a teen some did:

Revlon Cornsilk makeup
Summer Blonde by Clairol
Slicker lop gloss

[Gretchen_To_Be]

Dee and Robin, like you the TV pantyhose commercials were like a fix for an addict, as were the Penny's, Sears, and Marshall Fields catalogs. There were a few TV shows with crossdressing characters that were riveting as well. I knew it was wrong but I was enthralled anyway. I think my mom detected an inordinate amount of interest but she never said anything.

[RebeccaLynne]

Dee, I'll take your question to the present tense, if you don't mind...

As I first crossdressed at the tender age of four, advertising had no influence at the time. I really had no knowledge then of enticing potential customers to purchase their products based on their advertisements.

Fast forward to today... everytime I view a commercial having to do with women's clothing or cosmetics, I'm totally engrossed... I want to be attractive and beautiful, and that's exactly what they're selling.

So we're enticed into buying their products, hoping to achieve that level of being the most desirable women we can possibly be... and that applies to all women, whether FAB or those of us who identify as CD'ers...

Does advertising influence my crossdressing? Only in that it makes me want to buy more to enhance the experience... yeah, it does!

[Beverley Sims]

Summer store catalogs, still do it for me.....

[CarlaWestin]

You hit right on it. It was Joe Namath and the pantyhose.

[Diane Smith]

I don't recall being influenced by ads on TV or in print early on, but today I like to look at magazines with fashion and beauty ads to see what's current and interesting.

But another form of marketing, the Sears, Spiegel, Wards and Penneys catalogs, certainly contributed a great deal to my fashion consciousness and appreciation for the female form in those early years. I used to spend hours memorizing just about every page when I was < 10 years old. (Including the tools and toys as well!)

- Diane

[Stephy]

I don't know about it being subliminal advertising, but I do think that the way fashion marketing and shopping malls cater so much more for females does have an influence. What is there of interest to the average male in a mall? A few mens clothing stores and dept stores with small mens sections, maybe a small hardware store and bottle store if you're lucky. The rest is all ladies clothes, ladies accessories, girly ornaments etc. etc. As a male you don't get to enjoy 80% of what's on offer. When you crossdress it opens up a whole new range of fun experiences. I think the pull to crossdress would be smaller for me if it were reversed and ladies clothing only made up 20% of the merchandise.

[Georgina]

The Platex ads of the sixties used to send me wild with envy. The "my girdle is killing me" ad for the 18 hour girdle and the "Cross your heart bra" ads increased my desire to dress.

[Janice An]

Oh yes. Those big store catalogs were great for finding the right items to dream about.

[Breanneb]

Thankful that Joe Nameth came out about wearing pantyhose thought about it this morning while slipping into mine as I was getting dressed for work. Just love them

[Shari]

As a child of the 60's and much like Georgina, those Playtex ads really hit me hard and I fantasized at being able to have such things for myself. I loved it when Playtex had the women wearing their bras on the ouside of their clothing. (they wren't allowed to show that much back then but it was incredibly exciting for an adolescent boy who just wanted so much to be like them and wear those things.

Fast forward to today and RebeccaLynne has hit it right on for me. Anything that shows beautiful women, their cosmetics or clothing and I'm in lock down mode until the commercial is over. It absolutely fascinates me how amazingly beautiful these girls are in high definition.

The very best part is that if i see something I would like to have, I can get it now and i usually do. Most of it is only a click away.

[Dawna Ellen Bays]

Many of the Max Factor ads of the late 70s were big influence: "Take Your (Eyes/Lips/Face) to the Maxi" was a campaign that really stood out, as did their "Don't You Love Being a Woman?" ads. The Virginia Slims ads were an influence as well; those models wore great clothes.

[Terri Semes]

I remember looking at the ladies clothing in the sears catalogue from my teens , thought I was looking at the models but as time went by I knew I was really looking at the clothing

[Jorja]

Advertising only enhanced my desire and need and depleated my savings account.

[Nancy Salandro]

I loved the shoe ads and shoe sections of the big catalogs. the summer Sears and JC Penney catalogs had pages and pages of strappy sandals and flats and heels and loads and loads of bare toes and shapely tanned legs to see. I could see myself as a gatalog model of womens clothes and shoes from a very early age.

[carhill2mn]

One of my favorites from my youth was "I dreamed that I .......... in my Maidenform Bra!

[Stephanie47]

In the neighborhood where I grew up there were two women's clothing stores. One was at a bus stop. The window displays always included mannequins wearing undergarments' body briefers, girdles, bras, slips, hosiery. I always walked slowly past the display windows or pretend to be waiting for the bus to arrive so I could sneak peaks. In those days most stores had two sets of displays windows when entering the store. It was like a passage way to heaven.

Back in the 1950's and 1960's sex was illusive. It was not flaunted. There was much to be left to the imagination. The mannequins hid the forbidden under their attire. Now? With sex hanging all over to see I probably would not become a cross dresser. There is almost nothing to hide in those television ads for Victorian Secret bras and panties. I would know I could never achieve that look.

Heck, as I am banging on the keyboard, Kathie Lee and Hoda are having a segment with live models for lingerie. Nothing left to the imagination.

[Jaymees22]

I don't think it did but seems to encourage it now. I just started a subscription to Vogue, more than 90% ads, it's great to browse. Jaymee

[kimdl93]

I'd guess that the cause and effect are reversed. My curiosity and attraction to women's things certainly lead me to notice those products and advertising that appealed to my unusual interests!

[jackielynn]

I would say advertising influenced my dressing to an extent, not subliminally but just how the ads themselves promote beauty, power, and associate it with clothing. These ads are meant to manipulate women into buying their products by offering them these things. Its not about material possesions, ads sell a lifestyle. I feel there has to be some affect on the men who view these ads also. Maybe not to trick a man into crossdressing but reinforcing the want for those that already do.

[Jaylyn]

Well if the ads are subliminal then how would we know if they influenced us or not.... Lol really sometimes I see an ad for some luscious red lips on the tube and bam I want to feel the lipstick and smell it on my lips. I guess that it has some effect on my CD.